1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and, more particularly, to a method and system for providing technical support relating to an imaging cartridge used in an imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the use of printers in homes, businesses, governmental agencies, and various other organizations has increased significantly. Generally, each printer, or imaging apparatus, includes an imaging cartridge, such as an inkjet printhead cartridge or an electrophotographic cartridge. Such imaging cartridges typically have a finite life, and are produced in significant quantities to meet the printing demands of the various types of customers. Occasionally, problems occur in which a customer may observe erratic printing. In such cases, the customer may request technical support to seek resolution of the erratic printing, for example, from the manufacturer of the imaging cartridge.
In the past, determining the cause of failure of an imaging cartridge has been very difficult. When faced with a call from a customer who observes erratic print, service personnel often have difficulty determining the cause of the erratic print with only information from the customer's observations. For example, when the imaging cartridge begins to run out of ink or toner, the output of the imaging apparatus may become erratic. However, this same erratic behavior might also be due to various other failure modes of the imaging cartridge or the imaging apparatus. Therefore, it is difficult and sometimes impossible to determine the cause of erratic printing merely by observing a printed image. As a result, providing technical support to a customer is sometimes both time consuming and difficult, which may be frustrating to the customer.
What is needed in the art is an improved method and system for providing technical support relating to an imaging cartridge.